February 28, 2026
By Islam Gul
LANDI KOTAL
Qudratullah has survived 11 surgeries while living in Pakistan. But nothing could have prepared him for this: lying on the hard floor of a truck, somewhere between a country that has just expelled him and a homeland he can no longer reach. Three days ago, he loaded everything he owned onto a truck, demolished what remained of his home in Haripur’s Camp Number 12, and made his way to the Torkham border crossing — only to find it shut.
“We destroyed our own homes, packed everything into the truck and when we reached Torkham, the border was closed because of the conflict and we were sent back to Landi Kotal,” he said, his voice heavy with exhaustion. “My treatment was ongoing in Pakistan. I have no idea what kind of healthcare facilities I will find in Afghanistan. For now, I am just lying in this truck and taking my medicines.”
He is not alone. Thousands of Afghan refugees and hundreds of cargo-laden trucks have been turned back from Torkham and now stand stranded along the Pakistan-Afghanistan highway — families split across a border, money running out, food gone, and nowhere to go.
Caught between two countries
Twenty-five-year-old Mohammad Tufail arrived at Torkham from Abbottabad three days ago. He too was sent back to Landi Kotal, where he now waits beside a truck carrying everything his family owns.
“Whatever money I had, I gave to the driver as fare. Nothing is left for food,” he said. “The driver is saying he cannot wait any longer and is asking us to unload the truck. But how can we leave our belongings on the roadside?”
Other stranded refugees told similar stories of desperation. In some cases, families have been torn apart by the border closure — some members having already crossed into Afghanistan while the rest remain stuck on the Pakistani side, waiting in trucks for a border that may not open any time soon.
The five border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan had already been closed for the past four months due to ongoing tensions — with only returning Afghan refugees permitted limited passage. The latest flare-up of hostilities has effectively sealed even that narrow route.
The conflict that sparked the crisis
The immediate trigger for the border shutdown came on the night of February 26, when Afghan Taliban forces launched armed operations against Pakistani border areas. The Taliban said the attacks were a response to Pakistani airstrikes carried out on February 22 in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces of Nangarhar, Paktika and Khost.
Pakistan maintained that those strikes had targeted hideouts of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups. The Afghan Taliban flatly rejected that claim, insisting that civilians were killed in the bombardment.
In the days that followed, the sounds of heavy and light weapons fire echoed through Torkham and the nearby town of Landi Kotal — a major commercial hub just kilometres from the border, home to over three thousand businesses and fifteen thousand workers.
A ghost town where markets once thrived
On what should have been a busy day of Ramadan shopping, Landi Kotal bazaar looked like a ghost town. Shops were shuttered, streets were nearly empty, and those who did venture out moved quickly, buying only essentials before hurrying home.
Faisal Malook, a local resident, was loading Iftar and Sehri groceries into his car when he paused to speak. “There is no cause for outright fear, but people are being cautious and staying away from the market,” he said. “The Afghan Taliban should not try to create instability in this region at someone else’s behest. They should resolve their issues with Pakistan through dialogue.”
Mohammad Rafi, acting president of the Landi Kotal Traders Union, said the crisis had pushed border communities to the breaking point. “Yesterday afternoon, when the firing intensified, police made announcements asking traders to close their shops. This morning, shots were fired again and people kept their shutters down out of caution,” he said. “We demand that both governments immediately begin talks and find a peaceful resolution to these problems.”
He confirmed that the previous afternoon’s escalation had forced an early closure of the market, dealing yet another blow to traders already suffering from months of border restrictions.
Villagers shelter in old railway tunnels
The human cost of the conflict stretches beyond the stranded refugees. In Awal Khan Kalay — the last Pakistani village before the border — residents have abandoned their homes altogether and taken shelter in old railway tunnels built along the Pakistan-Afghanistan highway. Local volunteers are providing Iftar and Sehri meals to the displaced families and stranded migrants sheltering alongside them.
Schools in the area had already been closed for winter holidays, but district authorities have now ordered private schools shut as well. Residents have voluntarily restricted their own movement to minimise the risk of harm.
Military claims and diplomatic signals
Pakistan’s military spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif announced that under “Operation Azm-e-Istehkam,” Pakistani forces had killed 274 Taliban fighters and wounded more than 400 others in retaliation for what he called unprovoked cross-border attacks. He said Pakistani forces had destroyed 73 border posts, captured 18 others, and rendered 115 tanks and military vehicles inoperable. According to the military, Taliban forces had attacked 53 locations along the border, all of which were repelled. The spokesman stressed that Pakistan’s actions were conducted in accordance with international law and aimed solely at protecting its borders and citizens.
On the other side, Afghan Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid struck a notably different tone at his press conference on February 27. “A peaceful and diplomatic resolution of the issues between the two countries is essential,” he said. “The Kabul government desires stability and peace in the region and intends to resolve this matter through negotiations with Pakistan.” He also assured the international community that Afghan soil would not be used against any other country.
Along the Pak-Afghan highway, the message from ordinary people — refugees, traders, the sick, the hungry, the displaced — is far simpler and far more urgent. Dialogue, not war. The question is whether the two governments are listening.